Do You Believe In Fairies? Part 1

Now that summer's officially in full swing I once more have the company of my favorite sidekick. It's easy enough to get swept up in the magic of the seasons, but with a child around I find it even more so, and summer is just such a perfect time to get imaginative outdoors. Last year Payton and I spent an afternoon putting together a makeshift fairy house- more of a shanty, really- out of scraps of bark, twine, and leaves. It was such a simple thing, but it sparked endless enchantment.

This year I long to recreate that on a greater scale, stretched out over the summer weeks, beyond the span of a single sunshiny hour. It's one of those projects that thrives with time and doesn't need to be completed in a day, or really, ever at all.

Already I'm compiling ideas. The internet is both friend and foe. There are tutorials for miniature everything to help one imagine the handcrafted fairyland of their dreams. But a word to the wise: Pinterest will eat your soul. It's easy to get caught in the trap of "idea overload". I think a good deal of the magic in a project like this lies in its simplicity. At least, we found that to be true back when we built our first little fairy shack. I'm looking forward to diving in again, with a focus on fun. We'll be documenting the process here as our small wonderland comes along. Maybe you'll pick up a few (non-overwhelming) ideas for creating a bit of magic yourself.